Variable transmission windows are used in a variety of structures, particularly those having a living space (e.g., houses, buildings, cars, boats, etc.) to control the amount of light and heat that enters the living space from the outside environment and to provide privacy.
One type of variable transmission window uses two parallel polarized panes, with one or both panes being linearly translatable relative to the other. The relative shift between the polarized panes defines the window transmission. It is usually preferred that the polarized panes each have a polarization pattern such that a relatively small translation of one pane produces a substantial change in the overall transmission of the variable transmission window.
Unfortunately, the quality and performance of the variable transmission of variable transmission windows is wanting. Further, their manufacturing cost tends to be relatively high.